Knightly Duty: Winter's Warmth
by XxKarasuMegamixX
Summary: A change of heart, a new calling, and path different from that which was thought predestined. What will happen now that the Queen and her Knight are alone? Read on and find out. My First Story!


**\Knightly Duty: Winter's Warmth/**

Note: I do not own Zero no Tsukaima, the Characters, or the Site from which I posted this.

...Though I'd so totally take Henrietta for myself if I could!

Normal Speech

_Thoughts_

Its a cold winter's night in the country of Tristain, a country with warm sweeping fields for most of the year, but notoriously cold and harsh winters, the wind whipping outside easily capable of cutting through even the warmest cloaks. Even the most hearty adventurers would take the night off from their wanderings, and most animals would choose to huddle up together to prevent hypothermia. But, it is this night where a lone figure dressed in blue and white stalks down the darkened halls of a rather luxurious palace. His practiced movements allowing him to get inside without waking a soul.

His sneakers do not make a single sound on the smooth marble which makes up its foundation, allowing himself to blend into the shadows created by the lack of lights in the hall, illuminating the pictures of the country's previous rulers in a manner that unnerve him. He casually passes one of the night maids tending to the flowers in the well-lit throne room without her being any the wiser. He had no reason to sneak around the castle anymore since he became a Royal Knight and hero of the land for hi constant exploits, including but not limited to taking on the combined aerial forces of the Albion military almost single-handed, but he found himself doing it out of reflex.

His missing presence at his home at the academy was sure to be noticed by daybreak, but will be met by the excuse that he was on patrol at the castle, a role he's performed before, and that wouldn't draw excess attention. The freedom he felt by riding his mount away from the the cold stone and hay of his makeshift bed was welcome, even as the cold started seeping into his bones. Normally, he would be overjoyed to be far away from the stresses of the academy and the usual chaos that his friends invite. This night, however, was a different matter altogether.

He was not happy, anxious, or even excited, no, this night he was nothing if not disgusted. Not at his 'master' for treating him like a common dog. Not at his Partner for mouthing off about the things it does. No sword, sentient or not should know that much about human anatomy or its functions. Not even at his friends from the academy for their thinly veiled innuendo and constant bickering about who should get to warm his bed this particular night. His disgust is solely aimed inward.

Here he is, sneaking away from his master's side, in the dead of night to follow the commands of another. This perceived betrayal filled him with guilt even as part of himself reasons the visit was as much for him as it is for the one who desired his company. He is male, and as male he has certain urges which men have and it just so happens his urges coincide with the one who has called to him tonight. Even that knowledge however does little to assuage his guilt in the matter.

Louise, even his Master's name brings him equal parts anger and sorrow. By right he is _her_ property. It was her actions which had summoned him to this world, and made him a slave to her wishes. There are times when he feels extremely bitter toward his master, though he hides it well beneath his 'uncouth' mannerisms. He, long ago put on the mask of the fool to please his master, all the while his true emotions boiled under the surface. He even convinced himself he was in love with her, and willed his power to sprout and ave her.

That illusion was gradually washed away by her jealousy and destructive tendencies, much like his clothes after her last attempt at controlling a form of Water magic. Every time a woman would get close to him, she'd panic and attack him like she does whenever their red headed friend Kirche tries to seduce him. It got to the point where if anyone got near him, there would be trouble until he finally had to say something to her about her attitude that caused a massive blow up, literally. Without the help of their friend Tabitha and her Wind Magic he might have died. It was this turn of events that changed his perception of her.

The memories of the kisses they shared from first to last only serve to sour his mood further as he turns a corner in the great hall while mindlessly looking at the floor. Thoughts of the one who summoned him tonight weighing on him like chains made of the heaviest lead. Louise had never considered his desires, his wants, his pains, his very being, not like the one kind royal that he has agreed to meet with this night. Where Louise was self-serving the Queen seemed rather kind to the young man. It eat at him that he care for his mater, but find himself drawn to the woman he kissed full on due to a misunderstanding between their cultures.

All his benefactor saw, all she wanted to see, was the mask he wore. Not once had she ever tried to get to know the real him. No, she was more than content to keep taking from him, and yet he still deludes himself into thinking he could bring some goodness out of her... Now he is angry, and this time it is directed at his summoner. A sick smile playing on his lips as thoughts of what this night would do to her if she ever found out before once more settling back into his more dour expression.

He looks up to realize, with a small amount of shock, he has reached his destination already. Taking a breath to help calm his racing heart, his hand reaches for the door, to leave his signature knock that separates him from the rest of the castle.

"Please, come in, Saito-san." Words came from within sounding more like an order from a master than the request of a lover.

"As you wish Kougou-sama" he replies with a voice drained of anything resembling excitement as he struggles to shut off his mind, even if it is only for now. Slowly the knob turns, he pushes open the door to the Queen's bed chamber.

As soon as the wooden barrier creaks open he is assaulted by the scent of incense and a unique female musk that he has come to recognize. The brightly lit room,clad in soft pink colors with gold trim serving a stark contrast to the darkened halls, requires his eyes to adjust. Soon he is able to see clearly. The Queen, laying on her large round bed draped in red silk is wearing naught but a pink semi-transparent nightgown and a pair of thoroughly ruined silken undergarments, her feminine nectar flowing freely through the material and onto her sheets even as she is flashing him a seemingly innocent smile. Her reflection in the full length mirror across from her, casting a no less attractive sight. Despite himself, his mind slowly clouds over, giving in to what it wants most.

"You came Saito, just as I hoped you would." Her voice struggles to maintain coherency as it slowly warps into a rumble of pure lust. Her lips forming a small yet no less satisfied smile. The light in the room cascading off her cream-like skin, slightly damp with the perspiration of her activities moments before his arrival. Its painfully obvious that the glow in her eyes was more than just the reflections of the various candles placed around her bed.

"I could say the same to you Kougou-sama, ne?" He says with a knowing smirk. His arm slowly pushing behind him to close the door tight.

The Queen's eyes unabashedly sizing him up like the predator he knows she truly is under the guise of her royal title. He had no doubt she could be a great actress in his own world, after all she even had her mother fooled with that sweet and innocent act. How much of it is an act and how much is reality is completely lost on the man, but one thing was certain, if she wanted something, she'd be sure to get it, and judging by the looks she gives him, he's definitely what she wants.

Their first meeting like this was simply just to thank him for what he had done for her, but after a single kiss the more primal side of her decided she should 'thank him properly', which was reciprocated with admirable gusto. Admittedly alcohol was involved, but neither party was unwilling.

His mind hazy under the combined influence of what his sight and sense of smell are telling him about her state of mind. Every fiber of his instincts tells him to ravage her, but he knows her game. He unzips his trademark blue jacket and removes it, showing that he came prepared for this, his normal white shirt and protective gear missing.

"Mm, just a nice as always." she groans as she pulls herself to her knees to get a better look before crawling over to him slowly, making sure she sways her hips sensually to further entice the young hero.

His fingers trace one of the scars on his chest gained while protecting her kingdom, and by extension herself from the fallen Kingdom of Albion's assaults.

"You know it never ceases to amaze me..." she trails off seemingly enthralled with his scar riddled torso.

"Wha-what do you mean, Kougou-sama?" He asks nervously. _'She's never done this before, it feels kind of nice,'_ he thinks to himself while his eyes are drawn to hers as she disengages from her small trance.

"That my best friend since childhood has such a fine example of a man at her side. One who would fight and die to protect and love her, and yet can't see him as more than a pet. Its sad don't you think?" She asks wistfully while trailing a nail from her free hand down the side of his neck softly. Her eyes portraying something he hasn't seen before, a single flash of both jealousy and a hint of anger.

His eyes break contact with hers, not wanting her to see just how much those words eat at him.

"What is it you'd wish of me Kougou-sama." His words displaying more than a hint of how emotional he is about this, even as he tries to focus on his instinctual needs._'"Its just stress relief, that's all' _He tries to make himself believe that one thought through sheer repetition, but even that slowly erodes in the face of the one who makes him feel like he's back home in Japan.

Her hands leave him as she takes a couple of steps back and parts her stance a bit wider, causing her already short nightgown to ride up slightly, revealing just how anxious she is to get started, as if her eyes don't tell the whole story.

"How about you start by cleaning me up, Saito?" As if the words she has spoken had power all their own, her panties seem to become even more damp than before.

He can't resist her charms and he wordlessly drops to his knees and crawls up to her, his face even with the mid of her torso as his hands trail up her flawlessly pale thighs, feeling how soft and yet firm the flesh was one her thighs before cupping her supple rear end and giving it a playful squeeze and reaching for the band that held the garment on her. The material began its descent to the floor until suddenly being stopped by a petite hand, clearly not his own.

This was her favorite game. To act as the prey, but also not allow for him to take freely.

"I want you to use your teeth this time." The Queen' voice, so ravaged by lust, barely qualifies as having come from a human mouth.

Suddenly she felt something hot and wet just above the fabric of her undergarments. Before feelingthe flexible appendage sneak under the elastic band which held them upright. The new sensation sends sparks to shooting up her spine, her legs begin to wobble slightly.

She is glad she had shaved before this, this way she could fully enjoy such treatment, a lesson learned after their first awkward experience in the Mater Bathroom after she drank too much champagne and decided and that she was going to thank her knight properly. It was a new experience for both of them, and one that would be repeated more and more often since that day.

Suddenly, she feels his nose press just below her belly button as he flattened his face against her in order to latch the silk under his top row of teeth, before bending himself down to remove the now offending garment from her body. Feeling his nose trail down the flesh of her soft mound as the garment fell away from both his teeth and her legs causing her to shiver in place.

With a smile practically dripping with intent she gratefully kicks the covering away from herself before planting one leg firmly on the edge of the bed next to her, blatantly exposing her dripping womanhood to her own personal Knight. She slowly reaches down and after rubbing two digits between her cream-laden petals, she gently spreads them, inviting him to her in a wordless siren call.

Saito, for his part, has lost all logical thought, his mind long since drowned out by her intoxicating scent of strawberries and the musk of her arousal. His arm loops under her exposed thigh as his lips claim the heated flesh just inside of it. His tongue, pressing against her almost virgin-ally tight entrance, wiggle its way inside of her causing her juices to flow into his mouth unbidden. Their sweetness driving him on even as his tongue pushes up into her with a furious abandon.

The sounds escaping the Queen came out as more of a guttural moan and less like an attempt at egging him on. Even she is taken aback by the skill he is using on her as well as his zeal. Her breaths consistently increasing, along with her pulse. She truly never tires of the things his talented tongue can coax from her, and when he hits a particularly vulnerable spot all thought is immediately erased from her mind.

It was only thanks to instincts honed through experience Saito is able to catch her before her legs can give out, and lay her on the bed before crawling up her heaving body. He smirks devilishly down at her, half-tauntingly. For as much as she plays the predator, her tolerance isn't nearly as high as his.

She settles her hazy vision on the man that consumes her thoughts since they first met. Her mind awash with memories of all he's done for her intentionally, or not. Whether it be saving her from a kidnapping, Fighting off Dragons with an old Japanese Zero Fighter, or lifting her spirits with a bit of klutziness. Still, as things stand she wants more, and she deems tonight the perfect time to truly mark him as hers.

With a surprising amount of strength she rolls them over and proceeds to plant her legs on either side of his waist, her hands pressing on his shoulders, her short hair casting just enough of a shadow over her eyes for her to appear a bit menacing before she crashes her lips onto his. The taste of his lips eggs her on, her tongue meeting his furiously while her hands seem to practically disappear in the speed she used to unbuckle his pants, seemingly tearing the article from his person in a blink of an eye, followed by his silk boxers, a gift given to him by her for his last birthday.

He knows her games well by now so deciding that he wasn't going to let this chance pass him by, he purposefully grinds his hardness against the cleft of her rear causing her to moan and grind back against him before slinking down his body until her face was even with the object of her desire.

She wraps one of her slim fingers around the throbbing shaft in front of her, giving it a soft stroke as the man under her bucks his hips into her. A mischievous smile plays on her lips as she gives a small lick to the underside of the object in her hand before engulfing it in her mouth.

Saito, for his part, couldn't help but stiffen at the skill at which she used her tongue. Its clear she's been studying by herself since the last time they met like this. Her motions are till a bit sloppy but she knows where to touch, likely thank to the expansive castle library stocked with all sorts of information. He strokes the side of her head as she wraps her tongue around him and takes him into her throat.

"Oh, Kami! Kougou-sama!" A familiar feeling begins stirring in his loins warning him of an end to tonight's activities only for her to retract, and release him from her mouth, with an exaggerated pop. She lithely crawls up his body like a wild cat, clawing his chest lightly, and purposefully flattening his manhood between his stomach and her dripping flower. Her stare instantly draws his eyes to hers, a look of confidence, undercut with softer, frailer emotions deepening the usually sky blue eyes of the Queen to an endless ocean of sapphire.

"Saito, what am I to you?" She asks, her voice full of a desire for a certain answer, clearly torn between her body's craving and her heart's need. Her face showing just how fragile the woman currently straddling his erection truly was. Not since the death of her fiance years ago has she looked so frail. The look on her face when he was forced to tell her that an Agent of their rival country Albion had taken the life of her betrothed and used her best friend to try and gain the use of Louise's Void Magic made hi heart bleed for her. It was then that he promised to get stronger, strong enough to protect both the Queen and his Master from Albion's tyranny.

His arm reaches out and strokes her cheek softly, a small smile playing on his lips as his mind clears. The guilt of betraying his master and the disgust of being nothing more than a toy of royalty melts away, her eyes water slightly as he leans up to her.

"Henrietta, you're my Queen..."

Her heart nearly falls to pieces as her gaze lowers, ashamed. She had apparently been rejected before by a previous suitor from the question in the past, the look on her face clearly telling him how much she's in pain. He lifts her chin and plants a longing kiss on her lips causing tears to escape as she closes her eyes.

"... But you are also, my hope, my dreams, and even my love."

Words he has struggled with for the years since his arrival in this alternate world flow so freely now. Any doubt as to his feelings for the woman over him is long gone, and forgotten. His heart was clear, and calm, much like a lake of glass for the first time in his time on this world.

For her part, Henrietta's heart is pounding, a warm sensation filling her body with joy, even as one more question needs to be answered before she could go through with this, even if it'll hurt them both.

"What about Louise?"

Panic briefly crossed his face as he realizes he had completely forgotten about their connection. He steels himself and takes hold of her shoulders, forcing her to look directly at him.

"She is my Master, I can't change that, however I'm not going to give you up because of that. I love you, and as much as it may hurt her, I'll never be more than a friend to her, regardless of how much I may have thought otherwise in the past.I'll get her to understand, so please don't worry about losing your best friend. She may be a violent, self-absorbed, whiny, little tomboy, but she's not without reason."

His words echo through her head endlessly. He truly understands her, even when she doesn't understand herself or her emotions. She crashes into him happily, claiming his lips fervently as a fresh batch of tears escaped her lashes.

After a few minutes of exploration of each others bodies she breaks away and leans up to position him, to make her his. He grasps her arm with a look of concern.

"Henrietta, you know what this means right? If we... you know, you'll...we'll..."

She simply smiles at him and kisses his lips. "Then you'll just have to be my king then, huh, Saito?"

And with that, she plunges herself down on him, forever marking herself as his.

-One Year Later-

"... And so your highness, I'd like to end out an expeditionary team to investigate the new ruins in the south."

The young Queen smiles and looks over to her husband, who was clearly more interested in the trees outside than the Explorer bowing at his feet.

"So, what do you think 'Your Highness'?"

The honorific causes the man to whip around quickly to his wife, a devious smirk on her face. He quickly rights himself and looks to the explorer before him.

"As you wish. You may send your force as well as five knights and five mages to escort you, please take this royal seal and see the Captain of the Guard."

The explorer hastily takes the outstretched document and leaves the audience chamber. The King visibly slackens and the Queen laughs.

"My, my Saito, I almost thought you weren't paying attention there." She jests.

A smile forms on his face and he leans across his throne towards her.

"Well my darling wife, I think I'll have to punish you for your lack of faith later." His words dripping with intent.

She simply smiles.

"I can't wait..."

A/N: This I my first story, and I hope you all like it. Feel free to Comment and Critique. If the story does well I may write a full length story arc based on this, so please let me know if you'd like to see that. Thanks for reading!~XxKarasuMegamixX


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